To celebrate the Toronto Sun’s 40th birthday, we offer a selection of the paper’s more, er, memorable front pages

The Toronto Sun, that “little paper that grew” (apparently), celebrated its 40th anniversary yesterday, looking back on its colourful history with pride. “The idea was to take the news seriously, but not take ourselves seriously,” said lifelong devotee Christina Blizzard in a Sun News Network interview. “So long as we’re having a lot of fun 40 years from now, I think that’s what it’s all about.” Pierre Karl Péladeau, president and CEO of Quebecor (the paper’s parent company), touted The Sun’s “unbeatable journalistic team.” Naturally, we decided to celebrate our own way—by sharing some of our favourite moments of the Sun’s unique brand of crack journalism from the last few years, plus a couple golden oldies. Check out our gallery after the jump.

In this grovelling apology, the <em>Sun</em> admit its editors didn’t examine the evidence in detail. Our favourite excerpt: “Regrettably… when the Prime Minister described the Sun’s Petrofina story as ‘garbage,’ it appears on this particular story he was not far from the truth. We are very sorry.”

In this grovelling apology, the Sun admit its editors didn’t examine the evidence in detail. Our favourite excerpt: “Regrettably… when the Prime Minister described the Sun’s Petrofina story as ‘garbage,’ it appears on this particular story he was not far from the truth. We are very sorry.”

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In June 1981, the <em>Toronto Sun</em> accused federal cabinet minister <strong>John Munro</strong> of insider trading—specifically, the sale of Petrofina shares prior to the petroleum company’s takeover by the government. The <em>Sun</em> failed to produce any proof, and Munro won $75,000 in a libel suit.

In June 1981, the Toronto Sun accused federal cabinet minister John Munro of insider trading—specifically, the sale of Petrofina shares prior to the petroleum company’s takeover by the government. The Sun failed to produce any proof, and Munro won $75,000 in a libel suit.

This photo of two actual dogs refers to just one of the Sun’s mature and stimulating articles on the definition of marriage.

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“The <em>Sun</em> editors have been informed that, instead of a photo of a golden retriever, the last issue ran an image of former MP Helena Guergis. The Sun regrets the error.” Of course, the paper never ran that correction—it wasn’t an error (and the <em>Sun</em> probably wouldn’t have regretted it even if it was).

“The Sun editors have been informed that, instead of a photo of a golden retriever, the last issue ran an image of former MP Helena Guergis. The Sun regrets the error.” Of course, the paper never ran that correction—it wasn’t an error (and the Sun probably wouldn’t have regretted it even if it was).

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No account of the <em>Sun</em> would be complete without acknowledging the paper’s platonic admiration of the grace and artistry of the female form.